Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, January 17, 1995 TAG: 9501170116
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Vandals have shot up the Poor Mountain transmitting station several times, jeopardizing communications between dispatchers and state troopers who communicate by two-way radio.
"This is a problem that is totally uncalled for," said Capt. Charles Compton, commanding officer for the 6th Division State Police headquarters in Salem.
But he can't continuously post a trooper to guard the building on the mostly deserted mountaintop. Poor Mountain is the tall mountain ridge that forms a backdrop to Shawsville in the southeast corner of Montgomery County.
Several years ago, Compton said, workers built a special door for the building "that would withstand just about any type of firepower." Now, he said, "it appears that maybe some armor-piercing ammo is being used" to shoot at the door and the building that houses the relay system.
The Poor Mountain station is a critical relay for the police communications systems.
"A lot of these repeaters are on isolated areas on these mountains," Compton said. "We also have had some problems in Pittsylvania County. It's something that we are very, very concerned about because anything that affects your communications affects the safety of the troopers we've got working out there."
There have been some communications problems, the captain said, but police have been able to get the communications restored fairly quickly. Severe weather that interrupts electricity, such as last winter's ice storms, can also jeopardize the communications system. Generators fueled by propane from storage tanks are at the station as a back-up for when the power goes out.
The shooters have even hit one of the tanks, Compton said. Luckily, it did not explode.
"If push comes to shove, we can fall back to SIRS," a radio channel that allows police to communicate with officers in other jurisdictions, Compton said.
"It's a real problem that we're trying to straighten out right now, but I feel like ... we can place some restrictions up there [and] be able to take some action."
Montgomery County Sheriff Ken Phipps agrees. The state police relay station is in Montgomery County, and the sheriff is asking the Board of Supervisors to help him and Compton protect the transmitter. The Sheriff's Office also has a communications antenna about 75 yards from the state unit.
Phipps has written a letter to Supervisors Chairman Larry Linkous asking that the supervisors consider closing the road - which is not state-maintained - to the public. The road to the complex is about one-half mile southwest of Brake Road.
The right of way to the property was created primarily for the use of state police but has been open to the public without restriction. Property owners in the vicinity surrounding the communications complex live out of state and visit infrequently. They would still have access rights. Phipps said one possibility is to install a gate, giving keys to state police and landowners who need to use the road.
Phipps has asked that the request be placed on the Board of Supervisors agenda as soon as possible to avoid further vandalism.
"We feel this is necessary to ensure that the Virginia State Police would always have essential communications for the safety and welfare of their troopers along with our citizens who need to be served at all times," Phipps wrote in a letter to one of the landowners.
Kathy Loan covers law enforcement and courts for the New River Valley bureau.
by CNB